M2Gen said Merck has joined the Oncology Research Information Exchange Network (ORIEN) Avatar Research Program.
Launched in April 2016, the ORIEN Avatar Research Program fosters collaboration among key stakeholders in cancer research, including patients themselves, with the shared goal of discovering and developing novel therapies and ultimately matching patients to the best treatment options.
ORIEN Avatar is a collaboration between leading U.S. cancer hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and M2Gen, which manages the program. Patients donate clinical and molecular data through their consent to the Total Cancer Care Protocol; that data is then utilized by the ORIEN cancer center members and pharmaceutical partners to speed discoveries and match eligible patients to cutting-edge trials.
The program represents an unprecedented, pre-competitive approach to fighting cancer, designed to accelerate the discovery and development of novel therapies for millions of patients. Merck’s participation in the program builds on a history of collaboration dating back to the founding of M2Gen in 2006, to operationalize a multi-year agreement based on the Total Cancer Care Protocol.
The ORIEN Avatar Research Program links pharmaceutical companies and prominent cancer centers.
Participating cancer researchers contribute samples and disease information from patients who provide consent to be studied via the Total Cancer Care Protocol, and receive rich molecular data plus access to a rich network of potential collaborators.
Pharmaceutical companies contribute financial support and receive access to de-identified genetic and disease information that can be used to inform the discovery and clinical development of novel cancer therapeutics.
